Love?
by Little Short of Heaven
Summary: A mad scientist trying to bring a little girl back to life, a persocom who is the very person she was modeled after? What more could happen in this Chobits AU? (R&R pls)
1. Promises of Mourning

Prologue: Promises of Mourning

Saori stood there amongst the emptiness of her room, and shuddered deep within herself. Sea green hues looking at the screen of one of the 'out dated' form of computer. Fingers hitting keys as she wrote in the various codes, and commands to the program she was writing. It had been three days now since Suki passed away and now she was alone. All that was left was Yuka, her persocom, that was downstairs cleaning up the rooms down there. She had promised herself to finish this personality software for Yuka though she didn't know what her drive to do so was now. Getting advice from her friends over the Custom Persocom BBS had helped her write programs, and create the persocom that was ever so loyal to her. She still hated the fact the persocom wasn't human for she couldn't truly replace the memory of Suki with a machine, but her passed on friend had now become the model for this personality software. 

__

Why did you have to leave me Suki? You were my only friend. 

The thought rippled through her mind as she hit the final button. It was true though, Suki had been her only friend back at school. Saori was such an introvert, and no body seemed the least bit interested in her at school. So after Suki got killed in the accident down town Saori had decided to upload the persocom, she had built herself, with this software. Though could computer replace the memory of her sole friend?

The software was done, and soon saved to the computer's hard drive so she could go get Yuka to upload it to her systems. Her figure lifting to stand there as she turned her head to look towards the door way. There was standing Yuka right there all dressed in her leather, silk and lace mixed design of a dress. Saori was an artist after all, and she designed the persocom's human body and outfit just right to her vision of what she should look like. People always commented her work on Yuka, but it wasn't like when Suki was amazed at the piece of work. Only her old friend's complementary on the piece of 'art' had truly thrilled her. 

Yuka had a pale complexion with long strands of woven golden blonde hair falling down past her waist and near to her knees. Bells adorning the locks of hair like tiny silver beads, and they rang out with every movement she gave. Her eyes were a large vibrant hue of cerulean blue, and the black outfit made her pallor stick out so much more. The outfit she wore constantly was black outfit with black lace frills along the edge of her skirt trim, and sleeves. Then there was the leather here and there that was around her mid-drift and then along her upper arms. Straps making the leather pieces tight along her skin. After that there was those black knee high boots that had leather straps all the way up, and then those silver glittering buckles. Yuka was Saori's most prized piece of art, but Saori never brought her outside to show off to people after the one day she did.

The persocom was just standing there as if waiting for her next orders from her mistress, and Saori could only stare at her for a moment. How could she put Suki's personality into a machine? 

"Mistress Saori, I am done with the cleaning."

Saori's eyes opened wide momentarily at the sound of the persocom's voice as if she had forgotten the gentleness of it. Slowly then she shook her head to herself to speak. "Please sit down over here." Her hand lifting to gesture over towards the cushion on the floor next to the desk. 

The machine nodded her head, and walked over towards the cushion. Sitting down there upon her knees, and resting hands upon her lap. Those cerulean spheres looking up towards her mistress as she moved her hands to open up one of those cat like ears where the many wires were contained. Pulling out the connection cables for she already knew well what was to be done. Some part of the machine was happy, though the happiness was something given to her by another software program installed a little while back into her operating systems. 

"I'm glad you remember why I would call you up here, Yuka." Saori took the wires within her hand, and hooked them into the computer's tower. Some part of her hesitating before placing in the final chord. 

__

Why is part of me sad still to be doing this? There is nothing wrong with giving a machine a personality is there not? And when I give her Suki's personality she will better be able to use her emotion software. I should be happy not sad.

Soon after hooking the cables in she moved to the computer. A sequence of buttons were hit to start the downloading process. Looking over towards Yuka she watched as the persocom's eyes grew half closed, and looked so distant. The little whirs heard upon her ears as she listened to how the computer ran as the programs were downloaded. She looked to the computer screen seeing the download will take a long time to complete itself. 

Standing up she turned to leave Yuka alone as the program continued to download itself. She venturing off to the kitchen to get herself a snake while she waited. It would be hours most likely until it was done, and still part of her mind was reasoning with her why she should stop the program from downloading.

__

It's for the best that I do this though. The world is lonely without a friend. 


	2. Download Complete

Chapter One: Download Complete

It was three hours now, and Suki was sitting on the couch watching television. A warm cup of hot chocolate held in her hands as she looked down into the brown steaming fluid. She twirling it around a little to watch it swish around. A part of her was being dragged further in her sorrow as she looked upwards towards that television, but it didn't seem to matter. Her eyes were looking through it all with a distant look glazing over her eyes. Why was she still sad? Why didn't she just stop being all doubting in this? She lifted her finger to trace the rim of the coffee mug that held the warm chocolate drink. How she wished Suki was here so she could speak with her about what she was doing. Though that was impossible now. 

Her thoughts were drowning out the television now, and she no longer paid mind to the news report about the incident a few days ago. Supposedly the whole large accident was staged by somebody in the China Town slums here. Los Angeles wasn't going to be the same since the incident occurred. Such controversy already sprang up around the large truck crash into a large abandoned factory. 

"People can be so stupid, no wonder why you isolate yourself from them Saori."   
  
Eyes widening, and her head snapped around to look in the doorway. There was nothing there, but where had the voice come from? Pupils narrowed in her fright as she stood up fully. Backing up as she stood. Flicks of her raven hair dancing along her face as she tried to figure out who had said that. Already was her pulse racing in fear that someone had broken into the small apartment, and suddenly she began to calm herself down already. Sea green hues flickering to life with a sort of fear. 

"Are they not idiotic?" 

"W-who are you?" Saori at last managed to stammer to the voice that was there, but held no body to it. 

"I am S..." Slowly the words faded off before they could continue on that. The new sound filling in as the words vanished. It was the sound of foot steps with heeled boots coming downstairs. Could Yuka be done downloading the program already? 

A single brow rose as the blonde haired persocom walked into the doorway. She looking down to the coffee mug that was now on the floor. When had Saori dropped it? She never realized she had. She kneeling down to pick it up as she looked up towards Yuka who was now kneeling there placing a hand upon her own.

"Please let me pick it up Mistress." Yuka said, and slowly did the started girl whose hand the persocom have back away as she stood up once again. The gentleness had grown within the persocom's voice to such a friendly note. Part of it was yanking hard upon her heartstrings already as she just stepped away watching the computer pick up the piece of broken mug handle at first. "You seem so frightened Mistress, what is the matter?" Cerulean depths lifting to look towards Saori then. 

"Nothing Yuka, just finish up cleaning. You're doing a nice job." 

Yuka smiled to that, and Saori made a quick retreat elsewhere. What was wrong with her?! She leaned up against the wall, and slid down to the floor itself. Her arms wrapping about her legs as her face was buried into them. She couldn't handle the familiar gentleness within Yuka's voice nor the way she had touched her hand so tenderly. Yuka was a machine, and nothing more. So why was Saori feeling like she was dealing with a human? Body trembling within itself as she sat there remaining silent, and she knew that soon the persocom would walk into the room to ease her now troubled mind. 

--------------

Yuka picked up the pieces, and soon pulled out the clothe rag. She was already wondering what was wrong with her mistress. Part of her was telling her she was the source of her mistress's pain now, and suddenly that made her sad. The want to ease her mistress's pain coming over her and great waves as Suki would. Now that she was Saori's old friend in an odd sense she figured her creator was now uneasy with her. Slowly standing up, with the pieces in her hands wrapped within that moistened rag, she headed for the kitchen to take care of the remnants of the mess. Unfolding the pieces of ceramic mug into the trash can as she turned around to place rag into the pin of dirty rags that was seated below the kitchen sink. 

The world was a sad place around Yuka, and she now having a sort of personality within her made things more awkward for her. Now their sadness was affecting her emotions, or what could be called emotions. When it came down to it, Yuka knew she was nothing more then a creation made of software, and hardware. She was nothing more then a machine, and her personality and emotions were no more then installed programs by her mistress to help ease her through her pains. She though silently vowed to herself that she would aid her mistress in easing all her pain that the world was now giving her. Yuka would make sure mistress was happy, and make sure she never hurt again. 

Though how was a machine to show someone living friendship? Especially when the creator knew that she was no more then a machine in the end of all things?

A heavy sigh passed her lips as Yuka sat there. Her hands resting at her side as the bell shaped sleeves draped down to conceal the hands within lace and black silk folds. Locks of blonde hair dancing past her face to slide along as they revealed the cat like ears made of metal components. It was the constant single reminder of what she was, and that she could never complete her mistress's need for friendship and happiness, but did she not also need to complete the reasons for why she was programmed with such devices?

Slowly she moved to walk out to the living room area to see that Saori was now once more on the couch. Sitting there curling up within herself in the need of comfort. Yuka could only stand there though as uneasiness in what she should do flooded over her. Now all she could wish to do was give her mistress happiness, but how would she do that when she would not allow her to do as much. Walking over towards her Yuka rested her hand on her mistress's shoulder, and kneeling down to look level to the hurting girl.

"Go away..."   
  
Eyes widened at the words, and a powerful sting ran through her. Yuka wanted to help and now she was being rejected. This rejection hurt more unlike it used to. 

"Your no more then a machine. When it comes down to it, only your programming is acting and not a real person. Your emotions are no more then software that is programmed to react to me in certain situations because you can not without such programming. Nothing more then a machine, you shall never be Suki." 

She couldn't believe this. Yuka was not used to rejection, or the pain that it brought. Her eyes showing sadness, but they could not produce any tears to show to him. Those cerulean hues closing then to hide the pain filled depths as she stood up fully. A slow nod of her head given as the single three syllable line was issued, "As you wish." Then she turned around, and left the room. The door to the house opening to herald her departure from the place. 

__

Mistress...can I not make you happy? 

Eyes lifting to the sky as she stood there. Her black silk skirts fluttering along the wind alongside locks of her blonde hair. Soon she walked down the pathway from the building to escape what was happening. She needed to find a retreat, and her mind only told her of one place from the programming set within her mind. 

__

If I can not make you happy, then I am of no use, and neither is my programming is it? 


	3. Sakura Sanctuary

Chapter Three: Sakura Sanctuary  
  
Saori just sat there on the couch. Those sea green twins staring off, and into oblivion as she just couldn't believe what had occured. The words she had said had seemed so alien to herself as she spoke them, and now Yuka was running off in he streets of the city without a clue how to exist within them. Of course a lot of people ventured about town with the persocoms on their sides, but she didn't. It was nicer to keep your creation to yourself, after all. And now giref, and anguish along with anger that had been directed at the persocom had turned over into worry and regret. She shouldn't have made her so perfect like that, let alone snap at her like she had. Yuka after all was made by her, now she would have to deal with that which she had created.   
  
Getting up she darted across the room to snatch up the blue jean jacket, and ran off down the stairs of the apartment and off and out of the building. Hugging herself tightly at the cold bite that the wind held. She cursed herself a dozen times over for not getting a warmer jacket, but it was also rare that it ever got this cold in Las Angeles. Irony stemmed from the very concept of her thoughts. First she had been angered at Yuka for being so perfect, and now she was upset with herself for being angry. It was like she had dragged Saori from heaven and brought an angel onto the earth in which she walked now. And now, that angel was lost within the city of lost angels itself.   
  
Gods, it was all her fault. She closed her eyes tightly as black strands danced across her face making it impossible to see the road ahead of her. The sandals she wore clicking across the pavement asshe ran to the street corner. Putting hands over her mouth she screamed out the persocoms given name and was awarded with a dozen stares given her way.   
  
Please, I got to find you Yuka. At least to bring you back and fix what I did wrong. Saori thought bitterly to herself as she took each step further into this section of the city. Her arms resting at her side as the baggy jean jacket now slid off her shoulders and were left hanging on her elbows. Those sea green hues staring off down the one street at the crossroads she now stood at. The people around her having stopped staring to return to their own routines at the corner shops. Yes, go back to your own business everyone and don't pay mind to the mistake I made.   
  
Saori moved quickly down the one street following more of her instinct then anything else. She had to think of places that Suki would go to, because most likely Yuka was unknowingly heading towards one of those locations. Especially that new shrine in the China Town district called Sakura Sanctuary. It was a real lovely place, and it was where Saori had first ran into her friend while sketching some of the birds that were there. After all, it wasn't even a far to distant memory for her.   
  
- - - - - - - -   
  
The cool spring breeze easily carried the scent of the cherry blossoms on each gentle gale. Those eyes were closed while relaxing into the sensations that smell brought through her creative mind. Saori was easily distracted in the work that she was placing into her sketch book while her kimono ruffled softly in the breeze upon the bench she sat upon. It was easy to get creative in these gardens and the songs of several different types of birds easily rang out through her concious to fuel it even more. It wasn't hard at all to sektch the many song birds that easily perched about the branches of the tree she sat beneath. The many limbs all around her containing multiple colored birds which looked like they were delicately created by the hand of some divine god.   
  
Saori's head was bowed so that straight locks of black hair fell over her olive toned face. The softest blush upon the softly cute cheeks helpedbring out the sea green of her eyes. It wasn't normally that she got all dressed up to go someplace, but she figured for the shrine's opening it was the best thing to do. She took part in the festivities and became the subject of a little competition, but in the end she wound up on one of the benchs beneath the largest cherry tree there. And yet, instead of admiring the beauty around her, she was drawing.  
  
The festitivites of course were still going on and a number of people were gathered about to recieve a shrine maiden's blessing. Of course one of the many people had also strayed off and this was Suki. Her sandaled steps carrying her across the garden of cherry trees towards the largest of the trees where she would see the sketching girl. Her black dress slacks fluttering softly in the breeze while her black blouse with it's lace frills hung loose around her form due to an attempt of trying to stave off the heat of the afternoon. That skin was a soft pale white, and her hair a golden blonde that was cut short in a sort of boyish style. The blue eyes glitterig with a some admiration of the girl while she moved over to take a seat with her.  
  
"So why are you not taking part in the celebrations anymore?" Suki asked hte moment she sat down.  
  
Saori immediatly froze up where she sat and looked over at the girl who sat right next to her. It was the first time someone approached her in a public place without making some insult directed at her, and she had no clue how to respond except to blush a slight bit more.   
  
"I saw you when you were dragged from the crowd to be selected for that little game. What was it?"  
  
"They were going to have people compete to win a date with the chosen maiden." Saori answered softly and looked back down into her sketch book. "But the person who won was some girl, and I decided to skip out anyways because I didn't want to take part anymore in some silly game."  
  
"Well, just because you're not amused doesn't mean you should cheat them out of their prize. Anyways, I don't like having my prize hiding from me."  
  
"So you were the one who won, and all you can think of me as is some sort of prize?"  
  
"No, I am not so center minded like all those people are. I'll tell you what, instead of being a prize you can be a won friend. Anyways I sort of like thinking that I got to save a damsel in distress from a situation she didn't want to be in from the start."  
  
Saori blushed even more and hid her face more so within the shroud of sheer black locks of hair. Those eyes focusing in on the bird she had drawn. The little finch bird's feathers delicately accented in a flurry of pencil lines as it was pictured in flight. It's head held up proudly as it decided it would take flight into the world despite the obvious dangers that were presented around it. However, Saori knew the birds were trained somehow to stay within the gardens. Be it magic, or long hours of work, she would never know and yet it saddened her that a bird would be kept in such a cage with a whole world waiting patiently around it. It's how I feel, Saori thought.   
  
"So you want to go for a walk, and get away from this place?"  
  
- - - - - - - - - -   
  
So gullible. She hit her head against the telephone post as she stood there. Her eyes closing tihgtly to hold back any sort of tears. It was a difficult thing to face the past, and she had done it when she had started work on Yuka. The persocom was molded after a more feminine idea of what Suki would have been like without the tomboyish edge. After all, it was the tomboyish edge that had dropped her straight into trouble, and got herself killed. That small frame of hers just keeping where she was as she let herself slide down onto the side walk and release all the tears that were being held back.  
  
"I'm such an idiot." She whispered to herself. "I can't even do anything right. I shouldn't have even started working on Yuka. I had my desk top computer, it was good enough. I didn't need to go make some persocom."  
  
- - - - - - - - - -   
  
Yuka had stopped at the bottom of the stairs that led upwards towards the shrine. Her cerulean hues staring up at the structure that was just up the stairs. Those eyes closing as she boyed her head softly with blonde locks falling past her face. She didn't know why she had come to this place, but it was something she had walked herself too. Each stair she took with gentle steps. Her boots clicking softly against the stone material and soon the clicking grew faster as she started to run straight up the stairs. Her breathe coming in heavy pants as she darted onto the grounds of the shrine. The soft breeze catching her hair and the fabric of her clothing, and she easily smelt the sakura scent that clung to each silken whisp of wind.   
  
The location simply took hold of her mind, and forced her to stand still as she stared forward at the shrine's main building where a single maiden tied up some ribbon and bells upon the praying shrine in a gift to the spirit of the place. The soft chime of her own silver bells singing out softly to match the song of the birds around her. There is no voice sweeter then that of the bells, except that of singing birds. It was something she had remembered Saori saying as she strung the small bells through out her hair for the first time.   
  
The shrine maiden turned to look over at the persocom and that soft smile came upon those soft lips for a moment before walking over towards her. That voice that spoke out was even sweeter then her appearance, "Hello, miss, can I help you?"  
  
Help me? The thought resounded in her head. Yuka didn't know if she needed help or not. She was a persocom and there was no need for someone to help her. There were all those directories and help files within her operations systems that taught her what to do at the right moment, but it seemed in that instant it all had failed her. Collapsing to her knees, the persocom didn't feel the cobblestone ground scrap up her legs as she began to cry without a single tear falling from her eyes.   
  
"I want her to love me." Was all she could think of saying, and that was when the soft hand of the rested on top of the crown of golden locks. "And yet she only seems to hate me. Please can you help me with that?"  
  
- - - - - - - - -  
  
"So, have you caught any trace of the persocom's signal?" Asked a voice across the telephone reciever. "Is that right? Then we shall head to the Sakura Sanctuary immediatly."  
  
"What was that?" Asked a female voice from off to the side.  
  
"We got where she is, and it's time to get her and bring her to Mr. Clarke."   
  
"Right." 


	4. Danger Unknown

It stank. That was all she could really say about the room. Her hand lifted up to cover over her face as she took the steps down the stairs into the laboratory below. Little effort was applied to listening to the annoyed rumblings of the man below. Too much was going on, and she could taste it on the air. Whatever it was her master was planning she didn't even have a single clue as to what it was. Those long burgundy locks of her hair fluttering about her form as she came down into the room that smelt of several different chemicals. Never was it anything special to find him working on something new, maybe another doll like her. The soft red hues of her eyes blinked gently as she turned down the final stair and through the large archway.  
  
Her master was dressed in his long, tattered lab coat putting together something new. His hands worked with bits of wire and hardware that were scattered all around the place. It was nothing special to see him working on another, but deep inside it caused her a lot of pain. Always was he trying to make one that was more perfect then her, and always failing. Of course she always felt the brunt end of these failures, as the several bruises upon her form would tell one as much.  
  
Of course she didn't care much at all about it and only spoke up in the slight shy voice, "Master?"  
  
"What?!" He snapped as he turned about to look at her.   
  
Immediately her artificial frame froze up under the enraged gaze of his blue eyes. He was obviously angered with her and she couldn't find the courage to stand up to that glare. Simpering away step by step until she hit her back against a wall. Those red twins staring up to him, and shivered with fright as they met his blue eyes.  
  
"Jonas, and Dahlia have picked up on her signal, and are going after her now. They aren't sure if the girl will be with the persocom also, or not." The doll replied softly before looking down at the ground. "But they think it's most likely that she will be."   
  
"Only a few steps more closer to finishing it." The words were lined with maddening chuckles as he turned to his work. "And I'll have my little girl back, then I can get you out of my sight once and for all." Each syllable he said spoken with regret and grief and the doll could only wish to take a step forward to offer comfort. However, she kept herself from doing so, knowing he would only push her away and leave more bruises upon her delicate skin.  
  
"Yes, Master."  
  
From there on out a silence filled the room for a few more moments. Her master went back to working on getting the computer's components back together while she could only stand there in loneliness. Of course, she didn't understand that concept what so ever, but somewhere inside of her she understood that it's definition existed amongst the billions, and billions of micro bytes of data within her operating systems. It was odd understanding some sort of human emotion without having the proper programming to dissect the emotion and analyze it. Morganna felt herself slump down along the wall as her eyes rested upon her legs that sat there sprawled out along the ground at unusual bends. It was all so alien, and all too uncomfortable.   
  
She was nothing more then a doll without emotion. It was impossible to bring the dead back to life after all, especially through a computer being. The persocom knew the man's ideas were fanatical. He believed the spirit could be digitized and mimicked through the various systems of ones and zeroes that were so common to the computer language. Maybe it was possible to recreate the person in a persocom, but it would never be the person, physically, could it?  
  
Saori was running up the stairs of the shrine. Each step echoing out against the stone stairs as her skirt brushed back and forth against her thighs. It was weird to be returning here after so long. It stirred up a dozen different memories from the past, and mainly those that brought back thoughts of Suki. She fought the tears that were forcing themselves to the surface as she soon took the stairs two at a time to find herself standing up on the cobblestone walk ways. The silence was bitter to hear, and made the shrine seem abandoned while barren branches of cherry trees swayed softly in the breeze. It was difficult to even recognize the place as where she had met her friend so many years ago.   
  
Her knees buckled close to one another before she collapsed to the ground. Hands planted themselves firmly upon the ground while the tears fell from her eyes and upon the ground itself. It was so hard to be here again and to see it so abandoned. How much she wished for the celebration again, where Suki had saved her from the hands of one of many old perverted men who would have used their prize for alternate purposes.   
  
It was then that her conscious was shattered by the soft sound of bells. Those sea green eyes lifted upwards to see the persocom she had made standing before her. The cerulean hues staring back down at her seemed so forgiving and familiar in the same instant. This brought even more tears to the girl's eyes before the computer moved to kneel in front of her and hug her mistress close. The soft blonde locks of hair falling all about her form while fabrics of a black kimono skirts were spilt all across the ground.   
  
"I'm sorry Yuka, I shouldn't have put the programming into you. I began to create something that I couldn't handle myself."   
  
"Hush, hush," The persocom scolded in the familiar way that was all to close to Suki's. "Mistress, I forgive you for that already. Now we shuld get back to the apartment so we can fix everything. So you can understand."  
  
"Understand?"  
  
"It's too much to explain now, mistress. But the miko here helped me understand when she showed me in the big mirror. Yuka isn't angry at mistress, and Yuka doesn't want mistress to delete the programming just for feeling guilty about making Yuka like Suki. Because Yuka and Suki are one person, and miko says not to tell you how until we get back."  
  
"Shall we move in now?" Dahlia said to Jonas who only replied with a curt nod of his head.   
  
The two persocoms, programmed solely to trace down any unique persocoms in the area, dropped down from the ancient tree. Both of them stood there glaring at the two with their matching red eyes, and black hair. It was easily traceable, the far more unique signals Yuka's programming gave off. Let alone double checking the BBS' for persocom makers had narrowed a lot of their search to the Los Angeles area. The moment they landed on the ground Yuka's blue eyed gaze snapped over towards her.   
  
"Saori Macarthur, and Yuka," Jonas said. "Our master wishes to see both of you." 


End file.
